Lakers sign center Rafael Castro, waive William Kyle III

The Los Angeles Lakers waived center William Kyle III on Friday and signed Rafael Castro to an Exhibit 10 contract, according to Hoops Rumors, which cited reports from The California Post and ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

Checked October 10, 2026.

Who Castro is

Castro is a 23-year-old big man who went undrafted in June. He signed a two-way contract with the Houston Rockets in late August, and Houston waived him eight days before the Lakers moved.

He played two seasons at Providence, then became a full-time starter at George Washington. As a senior in 2025-26 he averaged 15.3 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.7 blocks in 27.3 minutes over 27 games, shooting 62.7% from the field. He made the All-Atlantic 10 second team and the conference’s all-defensive team in each of his two years there.

Who goes out

Kyle, a 6-foot-9 center-forward, signed his Exhibit 10 deal on September 27 and spent camp and part of the preseason with the team. At Syracuse last season he averaged 8.4 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in 32 games.

What Exhibit 10 means

An Exhibit 10 contract lets a player earn a bonus of up to $91,000 if he is waived before the regular season and then spends at least 60 days with his team’s G League affiliate. For the Lakers, that affiliate is the Coachella Valley Lakers, formerly the South Bay Lakers.

The Lakers open the regular season on October 21 against the Warriors. Roster spots at the end of camp are often a depth question, so watch whether Castro stays on the Lakers’ preseason roster or heads to the G League.